One Month to finished compost? My experience so far with compost tumblers

[DeepseekerADS]

I have three tumblers in action right now, along with two food quality barrels - one filled with weeds & grass for loading tumblers, and one filled with Alpaca Poop.

I put my first 35 gallon tumbler into service on June 25th:

https://www.amazon.com/Mantis-CT09001-Easy-ComposTumbler-Compost/dp/B00IS185XM/?tag=treasurenet01-20

I put my second 80 gallon tumbler into service on July 2nd.

https://www.amazon.com/Lifetime-60058-Compost-Tumbler-80-Gallon/dp/B0030GG2FS/?tag=treasurenet01-20

And I put my 65 gallon tumbler into service on July 10th.

https://www.amazon.com/Lifetime-60028-65-Gallon-Compost-Tumbler/dp/B004QKU0MS/?tag=treasurenet01-20

I added a shovel of the pacapoo in the two originals on July 5th and in the initial feeding of the 65 gallon tumbler.

In each I used the weeds I'd pulled from around the house and in the garden, plus lawn clippings. For the browns I added sawdust from around my sawhorse, and shredded (by scissor and hands) cardboard. I need to go get a ton of the fallen leaves in the woods. And I may get a load of wood chips from the local sawmills. The carbons (or browns) are the most difficult for me to lay my hands on.

I tumbled the beasts daily until putting the 65 gallon one in service, and then switched to weekly - I'd found the error of my ways, wasn't given them time to get started tumbling daily.

On July 17th, I added two scoops of wood ash to each, and on July 19th I added 2 cups of rock dust to each of the larger ones and one cup to the 35 gallon one.

I last tumbled July 25th, will tumble again tomorrow.

But, yesterday I took a look inside:

In the 35 gallon tumbler I'd filled it 2/3rds full, and now it's at 1/3rd full and very close to getting there, but still has clumps in it I'm thinking I'll break up.

The 80 gallon tumbler is looking pretty good, down to about a third full versus two thirds. And the 65 gallon one is doing pretty good as well, down to about 1/2 full versus two thirds.

So, I'd really say that one month would certainly be nice, but it looks to take 2 months in reality. I may get better over time. And my brother is arguing that I need to double the number of tumblers to get the production I may need.

I keep a constant watch on Craigslist for more. I'm not going to order new ones anymore. That 65 gallon one I picked up off Clist for $30 versus the around $150 I paid for the new ones - out of what I felt was necessity.

 

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[Davers]

Neat Post DSA.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I tumbled them a little bit ago. Gotta be more careful around them, got a not very nice 2" gash on my forearm off one of the tumblers. I always was a klutz! Something as simple as spinning a tumbler.

It is past the "month" mark, and while they look pretty nice, there's still plenty distance they have to go yet. I officially debunk the "month"!

But then, what do I know, my first adventure. I have no doubt I'll be harvesting some good soil, but I'm figuring I'll have to empty the drum, Screen it and put the rejected material back in the tumbler for the next generation.

 

[Nitric]

I don't know if it would be cheaper? And I was young so I don't remember all details....My dad would make them out of old dryer drums, he got somewhere...Paint them black, Two 4x4 posts and made a door on the drum. It's been a long time and don't remember what he used on the ends...probably just wood.and old pipe to mount it to the posts....

Him and my grandfather would put everything in their compost piles, dead fish or scraps from cleaning,food scraps, yard workings,etc....

Then after playing with the drums they just went back to piles and a pitch fork...But like I said I was young and had no interest at that time. so I don't remember details...

OHHHHH...You probably know this...But some stuff will generate enough heat to actually burn..everything probably has to be just right..

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I had a pile last year where I'd just throw on whatever. That pile actually worked out quite well, got good dirt from it this year. Most of it is placed around the berry plants.

I've loaded my tumblers trying to keep the browns & greens equal. And, I threw in several shovels of last year's compost to get the reactions going. A big bunch of the greens I added were running weed vines. The vine runners themselves haven't broken down. So those will be sifted out and put back in for the next generation. And the next one afterwards if they still don't break down. They're about 1/8" in diameter.

My strawberries are beginning to take off. Planted 12 last year and two died. Replaced those two, and with the runners now I have 22 strawberry plants It's rather obvious I should have given them more room. Next year will be year three, and I ain't seen nothing yet.... The other ones which haven't sent out runners will be doing that by the end of this season. Next year....

 

[kingskid1611]

Well on your way to some exciting worm crap. I just pile but that takes a long time although I have always enjoyed the outcome.

 

[ARC]

My girl is an avid gardener...
Built her a compost area for her to pile her peels and grinds scraps and such.

From what I have observed in the last few years of running this pile for her is ... moisture.
Not wet... but slightly moist.. and some air flow.
This speeds things up almost to half of the normal time.

Her garden plants are thriving like crazy from one and one shovel fulls of the compost... decent soil... and pure sand / dirt.

 

[Nitric]

Deepseeker! Just read if you pee on it it helps too! Sounds insane! But I'm not joking! Anyhow, I was just searching the net....My grandfather use to mix a little Lye(?) in with it. And that's what I started out searching when I ran into this........

Should You Pee On Your Compost? | Care2 Healthy Living

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Well Nitric my friend, I'm fully aware of that, and I'm too bashful to talk about it!

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

I'm still trying to get the Mr. to pee, in the backyard.....
needless to say, the front yard is no where near the compost bin, and he sure ain't made no dirt!

I can't believe how long it takes to make dirt!
I be digging up that Everglades/Belle Glade black muck.....
and making floatsam/phosphorous/algae mixture, in the old fish pound.

Good luck with your making dirt venture......

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Ooooo.....

I'm due to spin the tumblers today, it's been 7 days since I looked inside. Probably won't look a lot different.

 

[rockhound]

tumblers are a good idea but, I am going to take it a bit further and build a biogas digester. That way I can use the gas as fuel and the liquid as fertilizer. Similar process but you can capture methane gas to run a gasoline or diesel engine(diesel engine requires 15%propane mixture) to power my house and to provide heat. Can purchase natural gas stove to cook on and a natural gas heater and or water heater. Can run a generator to furnish electricity and also0 use heat from the generator to help heat the house. It is as simple as saving your grass clippings or buying hay, adding manure will get it started and the liquid from the process is pure natural fertilizer, like liquid compost. Go to youtube to see videos if you are interested. Good Luck. rockhound

 

[DeepseekerADS]

Spun the tumblers today.

Looks like the 35 gallon one kicked butt, I'll be emptying it next week, which will be the 24th. So that is 2 months on that one. The 80 gallon one looks like it'll be ready the week after, in 2 months as well. Looks like my first effort will have been a solid two months to dirt for each of them.

I tumbled the first two daily until July 10th. That didn't really allow the activity to begin. Just maybe I can cut 2 weeks off the process. I'll sure see what can happen.

 

[Swaveab]

I use a 55 gallon metal drum. I poked a few holes into the sides of it with a nail to keep air going into it. I throw stuff into it like grass clippings, paper without any wax or plastic coatings, kitchen scraps, and lots of leaves from trees and let it sit over winter. It doesn't hurt to stir it once in awhile, but I only did that sparingly when warm outside. (above 50 degrees f) Next spring I put the contents into the soil when I turned the soil. It's better in the soil than on top as it washes away easily on top and when in the soil it helps it to hold water better. I start on next years right after I've emptied it of 90% of the contents for mixing with the soil so this goes on through the summer and fall. It's important to have older decomposed soil in the drum for the bacteria to start on the newer materials to be composted. I used to lightly water it when necessary before my lid rotted enough to allow rain to enter and keep it moist. It's probably too wet this way, but I don't care as it isn't needed until next year anyway.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

All three tumblers were ready, and it was smothering hot here the middle of August. So I let them go till Sept. 19th and emptied the 35 gallon one. The quantity mass result was a whole lot less than I expected. I filled them all to 3/4 full originally. I got a good 5 gallon bucket of black soil out of it, left a couple gallons in to kick start the next generation. And then filled it back up to 3/4.

I put all that dirt around the strawberries and saw them greener at the end of the first week.

It's time to empty both the others, but the 85 gallon one first. I'll use that dirt around the strawberries again. Next year is the year for them to mature!

 

[releventchair]

tumblers are a good idea but, I am going to take it a bit further and build a biogas digester. That way I can use the gas as fuel and the liquid as fertilizer. Similar process but you can capture methane gas to run a gasoline or diesel engine(diesel engine requires 15%propane mixture) to power my house and to provide heat. Can purchase natural gas stove to cook on and a natural gas heater and or water heater. Can run a generator to furnish electricity and also0 use heat from the generator to help heat the house. It is as simple as saving your grass clippings or buying hay, adding manure will get it started and the liquid from the process is pure natural fertilizer, like liquid compost. Go to youtube to see videos if you are interested. Good Luck. rockhound

Any way to build a scrubber to reduce corrosion at tank exit or beyond prior to supply line at appliance/engine?

 

[hvacker]

My Grandmother's compost always had these little red worms in it. I thought they just appeared as I would grab a handful and go fishing. They weren't angle worms and had a weird smell.
Later when I saw our farm store in town sold them specifically for compost I realized my Grandmother bought them also.

My son experimented with red worms and newspaper and had good results but on a very small scale.
They speed up the process. I wouldn't doubt they could be bought on line.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

That 80 gallon tumbler and the 65 gallon one are an absolute bear to turn, easy to get hurt with too. I've taken shovels full of compost out of them to make starter pots for strawberry plants - nearly a year old dirt and still sprouting up masses of weeds. It's clear to me that the heat generated in the compost did not get hot enough to kill the seeds.

I didn't throw any earthworms in either of the three, and they're loaded with little red worms all by themselves.

 

[worldtalker]

That 80 gallon tumbler and the 65 gallon one are an absolute bear to turn, easy to get hurt with too. I've taken shovels full of compost out of them to make starter pots for strawberry plants - nearly a year old dirt and still sprouting up masses of weeds. It's clear to me that the heat generated in the compost did not get hot enough to kill the seeds.

I didn't through any earthworms in either of the three, and they're loaded with little red worms all by themselves.

Little Red Wigglers..good fish bait.

 

[boogeyman]

Sounds like you're moving along good! I've got two made from plastic 55 gal drums bought at the feed store (($10 ea) with a pipe through on 2x4 frames(scraps). Cut a door in the sides, added a piece of piano hinge (off the junk pile), and added two barrel bolt latches from the dollar store to each. Cheao & only an hour or so to build. Being hows we're klutz brothers, bolt some pieces of 2" x 2" on one end in a cross. Make sure you round the edges and use these to turn the drum. Oh! Button up your shirt or tuck the tails in the back! This will save your dignity trust me on this!

For your cardboard etc. if you don't have a chipper, a tiff mower works awesome! Lay out your pieces of cardboard and other material you want to chop up. The mower chucks it into the basket & if your doors are big enough all you have to do is dump it in. I've been adding coffee grounds into one of them for the roses along with the grindings frome the shop. Huge difference in the rose garden. Funny how it starts out looking like a ton of work, but actually becomes fun.